Is Lupus Contagious? Tips for Identification and Prevention

Is it contagious?

Lupus isn’t contagious. You can’t catch it from another person — even through very close contact or sex. Experts think this autoimmune disease starts due to a combination of genes and the environment.

Lupus affects nearly . It develops when your immune system misfires and attacks tissues like your joints, skin, kidneys, lungs, and heart. This attack results in inflammation that can damage these organs.

Keep reading to learn more about why this happens, symptoms to watch for, and how to reduce your risk.

What causes lupus?

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. That means your immune system mistakenly turns against and attacks your own tissues.

Normally, your immune system protects your body against foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. When it detects these germs, it attacks with a combination of immune cells and specific proteins called antibodies. In an autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakes your own tissues — such as your skin, joints, or heart — as foreign and attacks them.

Experts think a few different factors trigger this immune system assault, including:

Your genes. Lupus sometimes runs in families. Researchers have found that they believe are linked to the condition. Although most of these genes to cause lupus alone, they may make you more vulnerable to developing lupus if you’re exposed to other risk factors.

Your environment.If you have lupus, certain factors around you can set off your symptoms. This includes ultraviolet light from the sun, infections such as the Epstein-Barr virus, and exposure to certain chemicals or .

Your hormones.Because lupus is in women, female hormones may have something to do with the disease. Women do worse symptoms before their menstrual periods, when estrogen levels rise. However, the link between estrogen and lupus has not been .

When to see your doctor

If you’re experiencing symptoms like extreme fatigue, joint pain, rash, or fever, see your doctor for a diagnosis.

No one test can tell for sure whether you have lupus. However, there is a test that can identify autoimmune diseases in general. It’s called an antinuclear antibody (ANA) test. It looks for antibodies directed against your body tissues that are produced in certain autoimmune diseases. Detection of other antibodies will suggest a diagnosis of lupus.

Once your doctor knows you have an autoimmune disease, blood and urine tests can help pinpoint which condition you have. These tests look for signs of lupus like kidney and liver damage. Sometimes, your doctor will recommend a biopsy, or tissue sample, to diagnose lupus.

It might take some trial and error to find the treatment that best relieves your symptoms.

Because this disease affects so many body parts, a number of doctors could be involved in your care. This includes a:

rheumatologist, a specialist who treats joint diseases and autoimmune diseases in general

dermatologist, a specialist who treats skin diseases

cardiologist, a specialist who treats heart diseases

nephrologist, a specialist who treats kidney diseases

The outlook for lupus varies from person to person. Today, with the right treatment, can live long and full lives. Following your treatment plan and taking your medicine as prescribed can help prevent your symptoms from coming back.

Can you prevent lupus?

You can’t necessarily prevent lupus, but you can avoid the factors that trigger your symptoms. For example, you can:

Limit your time in direct sunlight if sun exposure causes a rash. You should always wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 70 or higher that blocks both UVA and UVB rays.

Try to avoid medications, if feasible, that make you even more sensitive to the This includes the antibiotics minocycline (Minocin) and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim), and diuretics such as furosemide (Lasix) or hydrochlorothiazide.